Models

theory · the physiological strategies

A strategy in plant is a self-contained set of functions that turn an individual’s size and light environment into instantaneous growth, fecundity, and mortality rates. The size-structured PDE machinery is strategy-agnostic; swapping the strategy swaps the biology.

Three strategies are documented here:

• FF16 — the default trait-based model (Falster et al. 2016). Growth follows a functional-balance allocation scheme driven by leaf photosynthesis; four traits (LMA, wood density, seed mass, maximum height) hyper-parameterise a whole strategy.
• K93 — Kohyama’s 1993 model, where growth, fecundity, and mortality are direct functions of stem diameter and stand basal area. A compact example of a non-physiological strategy.
• TF24 — extends the leaf model with explicit stomatal optimisation and plant hydraulics, choosing conductance to maximise carbon profit net of hydraulic cost.

To implement your own, see implementing a new strategy.